The prototype VERSION.json file is today used by a few scripts/processes, and will soon be the input to the Jenkins jobs used to build CRW 2.x (starting with 2.12).

Inputs to refactor:

• https://github.com/redhat-developer/codeready-workspaces/tree/crw-2-rhel-8/product/ghira
• https://github.com/redhat-developer/codeready-workspaces/tree/crw-2-rhel-8/product/updateVersionAndRegistryTags.sh
• https://github.com/redhat-developer/codeready-workspaces/tree/crw-2-rhel-8/dependencies/che-plugin-registry/build.sh

New features being added:

• CRW-2196 - compute latest released `replaces:` version in operator metadata CSV from version.json
• CRW-2149 - Use VERSION.json in groovy/jenkinsfile configs (instead of hard coded values)
• support ability to toggle an entire set of jobs on/off from version.json (so it's easier to disable jobs to prevent needless respins after RC)
• add a 'Purpose' to the json (like you would with a shell script) so it's clear what the scope of this file is for – job-related version mappings, job-related configurations, etc.